Transistors can be used as logical switches in an integrated circuit (IC). Transistors generate heat when switching from an off state to an on state, or from an on state to an off state, within the IC. If this heat is neither properly dissipated nor otherwise accounted or compensated, the transistor can experience degeneration leading to transistor failure.
However, although the IC can have an associated temperature sensor to detect excessive heat, there can be significant variation in the readings obtained from the temperature sensor from IC to IC. Therefore, a calibration of the temperature sensor is performed to compensate for this variation. Conventionally, one method of calibration is to generate a temperature in the IC chip environment and then calibrate the temperature sensor or temperature sensors at that temperature. In other words, determine what the readings of the temperatures sensors are at a given temperature, and use this as a basis for comparison when determining an unknown temperature. However, calibration of temperature sensors can be time intensive and costly.
Therefore, what is needed is a way to calibrate an IC chip that solves at least some of the disadvantages associated with conventional calibration of IC chips.